Lima man sentenced for child enticement

COLUMBUS — Addison R. Richardson, 24, of Lima, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to serve 264 months in prison for enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity.

RICHARDSON

Richardson pleaded guilty Jan. 30, 2014, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. During the plea hearing, Richardson admitted to using the Internet and a cellular phone to engage in sexual conversations with a 14-year-old boy who resided in northern Ohio, and that he traveled to a residence in northern Ohio where he engaged in sexual activity with the boy. During the conversations with the boy, Richardson asked the boy to send nude photographs of himself and the boy complied.

Richardson also admitted that he had communicated via e-mail and text message with an undercover officer posing as the father of 14 and 9-year-old boys and that during those communications, he had indicated his desire to engage in various illegal sexual acts with the minor children, and that he had traveled to Columbus for the purpose of engaging in those sex acts with the children. ICAC officers arrested Richardson when he arrived in Columbus for the meeting on Feb. 11, 2013.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.